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Thursday, December 29, 2016

My favorite "dress" rain jacket is now about 12 years old. Despite its age, the lovely aqua color is still in style and fit is still so good...however, there are stains and discolorations that dry cleaning can't fix. As sad as it is, I think it's time to pitch it. Well, this is one of those times when I'm so, so grateful to be able to sew. While my new version doesn't replicate that exact jacket, it's definitely a reasonable replacement.

I am a huge fan of this Burda Style pattern (B6747), especially after seeing the final product. First off, it's actually designed for petites! I didn't make a single petite adjustment (though the sleeves could be taken up by 1/2"...) I sewed a straight size 10 and it fits well, with enough room for a sweater underneath. The silhouette is obviously not fitted, but has a slight a-line shape.

The pattern has some thoughtful details, such as side seams moved forward to allow for a more ergonomic placement of the pockets, a different pattern piece for the upper and under collar (important for a good roll), and a collar "stand" that also contributes to the pleasant shape.

The original instructions call for a faux button over snaps. I hadn't planned ahead for bound buttonholes, and I don't have the skills or gimp to hand finish a button hole, so I went along with the written directions. However, I wanted to cover the male side of the snap, to make it slightly less obvious when worn open. If you didn't see it the other day, I posted a little tutorial for covering snaps when working with thick fabric.

Yep, the green color is a bit bold. Online it looked more "spring green" but in person it looks more "shamrock green". Regardless, the color is definitely growing on me. It's from Mood and listed as a water-resistant cotton canvas, intended for outdoor cushions and whatnot, but it is a great weight for this type of jacket.

The jacket has a full lining and to up the luxury, I went with another bold choice--apricot gingham silk taffeta (also from Mood)! I know the colors aren't a perfect match, but it was so beautiful and spring-y, I couldn't resist!

Here are the jacket innards. The sleeve hems are sewing on the machine (using a bag-type method) but I hand sewed the hem, with a pleat for the lining.

Action pleat in the lining!

Overall, I am thrilled with my new jacket. I love color, the vaguely vintage style and the lining just makes me happy. I would be happy to make this pattern over and over again, as my jackets get worn out. Bring on the rain (but just for like, a day, please :)

Monday, December 26, 2016

I'm making a jacket which calls for non-functional buttons over snaps and since the garment will be worn such that the male side of the snaps may show, I really wanted to cover them. I couldn't use the standard method for applying the self fabric (gathering the fabric behind the snap with a running stitch) because my fabric (heavyweight water-resistant twill) is way too thick. As a matter of fact, the fabric was so thick that I couldn't cover both halves of the snap pair, so I opted to leave the female side uncovered, since it wasn't going to show anyhow. Here's a clean and easy way to cover the male part of a snap if you have some heavy-weight fabric.

So first off, trace the snap half on the back of a fabric scrap.

Use a small punch to create a tiny hole right in the center of the circle, as a place to start cutting with tiny scissors.

Carefully cut around the starting circle to expand it to just smaller than the "male" part of the male snap. This might take a trial or two--you don't want it too big, and too small is no good either.

Apply Fray-Check liberally to the back and front side of the hole edge keeps it from fraying to bits.

Then, cut around the original drawn circle. The amount to cut beyond the drawn circle will vary a bit, based on the size of the snap. A good place to start is about half the diameter of the snap. This snap is a bit less than 1" and I extended the circle by about 3/8".

The male part of the snap can then be pushed through the hole, even before the Fray-Check dries, since Fray-Check stiffens the fabric.

Flip the snap over and begin cutting triangles out of the edge of the circle, stopping 1/8" from your drawn circle. More triangles means a smoother edge around your snap when you draw the fabric underneath, so don't be quick to finish!

Apply Fray-Check around all the cut edges of your little gear :)

Once the Fray-Check dries, begin sewing the fabric underneath the snap. Start by inserting your needle into one "gear tooth" from the underside. Then, insert the needle through a gear tooth on the opposite side of the snap.

Continue going from one side to the other drawing the teeth together (kind of like a corset), pulling the threads tightly as you go.

Done!

This method is more time-consuming for sure, but results in a beautiful finished snap, without a huge amount of bulk underneath. As I mentioned, I didn't cover the female side of the snap, but a similar method could be used.

Thanks for stopping by! In the next few days, I'll reveal my lovely green jacket with half-covered snaps!

P.S. I wanted to share one of my Christmas gifts--an adorable punch felted pin cushion from Foxtail Creek Studio. How sweet is that? Those trees remind of the truffula trees from The Lorax! Thank you to my family for finding such a gorgeous addition to my sewing room!

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Yes, the day after I made the first Lola, I went ahead and made a second. I had some "spare" fabric lying around and couldn't resist!

The first version was a bit big at the waistline and middle back, so I altered the pattern to take in all of the princess seams above and below the waistline by about 1/4", tapering out to the original line about 3" below the waistline. I also lowered the armscye by about 1/2". The new fit feels and looks better, and I can still wiggle into it without any closures! Oh, I also shortened the length of the dress by about 1", and then increased the width of the ribbing just for fun.

So this fabric! It's quilted knit, (my color is no longer available, but this is the same fabric) with a bit of batting in between the two layers. It's amazingly soft and warm, and really, it just feels like I'm wearing a comfy sleeping bag. Admittedly, it kind of looks like I'm wearing a sleeping bag, but I'm kind of okay with that!

I am constantly cold, and it's just so cozy! I could seriously live and sleep in this garment.

The quilting is so lovely!

The topstitching for each seam is really apparent on this fabric, and I think it adds a really beautiful detail.

This new version took a total of 1.5 hours to sew, so it's a quick and easy way to make an outfit, but I think a third version of this same style might be a little over-kill. That being said, I'm not promising a version 3.0 won't happen :)

Monday, December 12, 2016

Starting in January, I am going to be a full-time student to finish up my AS in Apparel Production! It's been a few years in the making since I've taken only 1 or 2 classes a semester while working part-time, but I'll be taking a leave from teaching to finally get it done. So, instead of wearing my "normal" skirts and heels for work, I have to start dressing like a student! Sweatshirts and leggings are what my college students wear, so this is my late-30 year old answer to that.

The pattern is the Lola dress, by Victory Patterns. I've been looking at this dress pattern for a while, and when I ended up with a couple of lengths of sweatshirt-type material, I realized it would be perfect. The pattern has some amazing style lines and giant pockets (I can fit a box of spaghetti in there, as I discovered at dinner tonight!).

The construction was super quick, even though each seam is topstitched. This one took the same amount of time it took the rest of my family to watch Star Wars Episode 3 :)

I did make some changes after the fact (which involved unpicking some of that topstitching). There are no closures and no side seams, so the princess seams are the main site of alterations. The style lines had to be taken in a bit, especially at the back and I was able to alter it a bit, but a second version is needed to really get the fit right.

The fabric is speckled grey French terry, from Robert Kaufman, with plain black rib knit for the cuff, neckline and hem. The weight of the French terry is ideal for this application so the dress feels substantial and warm.

Overall, this dress is AMAZING and like all other reviews of this pattern I've seen, I can't recommend it enough. I want to wear it all the time!

P.S. This necklace! I bought it for myself from the SF MoMA store. It's handmade from telephone wire!

P.S.S. My 6 year old was "helping" me take photos and he suggested (with a demonstration, no less) how he thought I should pose. Here it is: